Waterkloof to battle Collegiate for top honours in the Belgotex Sport Girls Challenge final
Hoërskool Waterkloof will meet Collegiate Girls’ High in Sunday’s final of the Belgotex Sport Girls Hockey Challenge following their semifinal victories over Paarl Gimnasium and DSG Makhanda, respectively, at the Western Province Cricket Club A Astro on Saturday afternoon.
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Coach Omari Pienaar-Geyer’s Waterkloof was the first to book a berth in the title game with a thrilling 3-2 win over last year’s winners, Paarl Gim. The Pretoria school made a scintillating start to the match with a goal four minutes into the contest.
From that point onwards, Waterkloof controlled the first chukka. Paarl Gim made some forays into the Waterkloof half but were met by a resolute defence.
In the last three minutes before the first break, Waterkloof struck twice more, giving them a significant 3-0 advantage on goals from Dania Opperman, Jenna Trewin, and Lenique Vogel.
Alanda Rademeyer kept Paarl Gim in the hunt with a goal early in the second chukka, and Gimmies kept pressing hard, but Waterkloof held firm through the rest of the second quarter and all of the third chukka.
With 10 minutes remaining, Rademeyer struck again to keep Paarl Gim believing. They threw everything into conjuring up a third goal, but Waterkloof held firm to move on to the main game.
Collegiate edged out DSG Makhanda 1-0 to punch their ticket to the final. The ladies from Parsons Hill, in Gqeberha, put together a disciplined performance to outplay and outlast their in-form provincial rivals.
The two heavyweights topped Pools B and C on their way to the quarterfinals, where DSG Makhanda defeated last year’s runner-up, Herschel, 1-0, courtesy of a goal from Ava van der Walt. Collegiate advanced to the semi-finals by beating Affies Meisies 1-0, with Sophia Jansen scoring the winner.
Their final four clash, against DSG Makhanda, was a tightly contested affair that showcased both sides’ solid defences. It took 28 minutes before Collegiate’s captain, Kerrin Gillies, put her side ahead with a well-worked goal.
The next two chukkas saw Collegiate and DSG Makhanda return to previous settings: both sides launched spirited attacks on the opposition goal, with no joy for the attackers.
Sunday’s final takes place on the Western Province Cricket Club A Astro at 12:50.
RESULTS
Semifinals
Waterkloof 3-2 Paarl Gim
Collegiate 1-0 DSG Makhanda
Quarter-finals
DSG Makhanda 1-0 Herschel
Collegiate 1-0 Affies
Paarl Gim 4-1 Reddam Constantia
Waterkloof (3) 0-0 (2) St Marys DSG Kloof
Other matches
Herschel (3) 1-1 (2) Affies
St Mary’s DSG Kloof 2-1 Reddam House Constantia
Plate section
Durban Girls’ College 1-0 Pearson
St John’s DSG 2-1 Stellenberg
St Anne’s (3) 1-1 (1) Garsfontein
Parel Vallei 2-1 St Cyprian’s
Durban Girls’ College (3) 2-2 (2) Stellenberg
Pearson 2-1 St John’s DSG
St Anne’s 1-0 St Cyprian’s
Garsfontein (2) 0-0 (1) Parel Vallei
Bowl section
Fairmont 2-1 Rustenburg Girls
St Andrew’s School for Girls (3) 0-0 (2) York
Durbanville 2-0 DF Akademie
St Mary’s Waverley 3-1 Springfield
St Andrew’s School 2-1 Fairmont
York 1-0 Rustenburg Girls
St Mary’s Waverley 2-1 Durbanville
Springfield 2-1 DF Akademie
